Where Islam spreads, freedom dies

A father widely credited with stopping the summer’s riots in Birmingham was told by a judge yesterday that his trial for an alleged assault would not be held before his son’s alleged killers are tried.

Tariq Jahan, whose son Haroon was killed during the riots, had asked for his trial to be brought forward to avoid it clashing with that of the seven men accused of killing his son and two other men. But Judge William Davies, QC, told Mr Jahan that his case was “severe enough” to require a senior judge and the date could not be changed.

Mr Jahan, 47, has pleaded not guilty to charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Sajid Ali on July 6 last year.

He was hailed a hero in the hours after the death in August of his son and two brothers, Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, who were run down as they defended shops from suspected looters. As friends of the dead men gathered intent on revenge, Mr Jahan appealed for calm.

Chris Sims, the West Midlands Police chief constable, described his intervention as “powerful, generous, far-sighted . . . at a moment of absolute grief and devastation”.

At Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, Mr Jahan spoke only to confirm his name and plead not guilty. The judge fixed his trial for April 2 and said that he would hear the case himself.

The trial of the men accused of killing Mr Jahan’s son is provisionally due to be heard in March.